Vayu Purana

सम्पातविषमैस्तैस्तु पर्व्वतैरावृतानि च। सन्ततानि नदीभेदैरगम्यानि परस्परम्। वसन्ति तेषु सत्वानि नाना जातीनि भागशः ।। ३४.

These are surrounded by mountains, uneven and intersecting; divided by continuous rivers, they are inaccessible to each other; in them dwell beings of various kinds, each in their own portion.

इदं हैमवतं वर्षं भारतं नाम विश्रुतम्। हेमकूटं परं तस्मान्नाम्ना किम्पुरुषं स्मृतम् ।। ३४.

This region of Himavat is renowned as Bhārata; beyond Hemakūṭa is the region called Kimpuruṣa.

नैषधं हेमकूटन्तु हरिवर्षं तदुच्यते। हरिवर्षात्परञ्चैव मेरोश्च तदिलावृतम् ।। ३४.

Between Niṣadha and Hemakūṭa is the region called Harivarṣa; beyond Harivarṣa and Meru is Ilāvṛta.

इलावृतपरं नीलं रम्यकं नाम विश्रुतम्। रम्यात्परतरं श्वेतं विश्रुतन्तद्धिरण्मयम्। हिरण्मयात्परञ्चापि श्रृङ्गवांस्तु कुरुस्मृतम् ।। ३४.

Beyond Ilāvṛta lies Nīla, then comes the renowned Ramyaka; superior to Ramyaka is the celebrated Śveta, and beyond Śveta is Hiraṇmaya; surpassing Hiraṇmaya is the mountain called Śṛṅgavān, remembered as Kuru.

धनुःसंस्थे च विज्ञेये द्वे वर्षे दक्षिणोत्तरे। दीर्घाणि तत्र चत्वारि मध्यमन्तदिलावृतम् ।। ३४.

In the form of a bow, two regions are to be understood: southern and northern; there, four long lands are found, with Ilāvṛta in the middle.

अर्वाक् च निषधस्याथ वेद्यर्द्धं दक्षिणं स्मृतम्। परं नीलवतो यच्च वेद्यर्द्धन्तु तदुत्तरम्। वेद्यर्द्धं दक्षिणे त्रीणि वर्षाणि त्रीणि चोत्तरे ।। ३४.

On this side of Niṣadha, half the altar is considered southern; beyond Nīla, half the altar is northern; on the southern side, there are three regions, and three also on the northern side.

तयोर्मध्ये तु विज्ञेयं मेरुमध्यमिलावृतम्। दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य निषधस्योत्तरेण तु ।। ३४.

Between these two, know that the central Ilāvṛta is at the heart of Meru, south of Nīla and north of Niṣadha.

उदगायतो महाशैलो माल्यवान् नाम पर्व्वतः। योजनानां सहस्रोरुरानीलनिषधायतः। आयामतश्वतुस्त्रिशत्सहस्राणि प्रकीर्तितः ।। ३४.

To the north rises the great mountain called Mālyavān, a mighty range stretching a thousand yojanas from Nīla to Niṣadha, with a length said to be thirty thousand yojanas.

तस्य प्रतीच्यां विज्ञेयः पर्वतो गन्धमादनः। आयामादथ विस्तारान् माल्यवानिति विश्रुतः ।। ३४.

To its west is the mountain known as Gandhamādana; in both length and breadth, Mālyavān is renowned.

परिमण्डलयोर्मध्ये मेरुरुत्तमपर्वतः । चतुर्वर्णः सुसौवर्णश्चतुरस्रः समुच्छ्रितः। अव्यक्ता धातवः सर्व्वे समुत्पन्ना जलादयः ।। ३४.

Between the two circles stands Meru, the supreme mountain, four-colored, splendidly golden, four-sided, and lofty; from it arise all the subtle elements, including water and others.

अव्यक्तात् पृथिवी पद्मं मेरुपर्वतकर्णिकम्। चतुष्पथं समुत्पन्नं व्यक्तं पञ्चगुणं महत् ।। ३४.

From the unmanifest arose the earth, like a lotus, with Meru as its pericarp; from it emerged the fourfold path, manifest, great, and endowed with five qualities.

ततः सर्व्वाः समुत्पन्ना वृत्तयो द्विजसत्तमाः। नैककल्पार्जितैः पुण्यौर्वे विधैः प्रागुपार्जितैः ।। ३४.

From that, O best of twice-born, all the cycles of creation arose, through various acts of merit accumulated in countless ages past.

कृतात्मभिर्विनीतात्मा महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः। महादेवो महायोगी जगज्ज्येष्ठो महेश्वरः । सर्वलोकगतोऽनन्तो ह्यमूर्तित्वादजायत ।। ३४.

By those whose selves were perfected and disciplined, the great soul, the supreme person, the great god, the supreme yogi, the eldest of the world, the great lord, the all-pervading, the infinite, was born, formless.

न तस्य प्राकृती मूर्त्तिर्मांसमेदोऽस्थिसम्भवा । योगाच्चैवेश्वरत्वाच्च सर्व्वात्मागत एव सः ।। ३४.

He does not have a material form made of flesh, fat, or bone; by yoga and lordship, he is present in all beings.

तन्निमित्तं समुत्पन्नं लोकपद्मं सनातनम्। कल्पशेषस्य तस्यादौ कालस्य गतिरीदृशी ।। ३४.

For his purpose, the eternal world-lotus arose; at the beginning of the remainder of the kalpa, such is the course of time.

तस्मिन् पद्मे समुत्पन्नो देवदेवश्चतुर्मुखः। प्रजापतिपतिर्ब्रह्मा ईशानो जगतः प्रभुः ।। ३४.

On that lotus was born the god of gods, four-faced, Brahmā, lord of progenitors, ruler, and master of the world.

तस्य बीजानि सर्गो हि पुष्करस्य यथार्थवत्। कृत्स्नः प्रजानिसर्गेण विस्तरेणेह कथ्यते ।। ३४.

His seeds are the creation, just as the lotus's are; the entire creation of beings is described here in detail.

यदब्जं वैष्णवं कार्य्यं ततस्तन्नाभितोऽभवत्। पद्माकारा समुत्पन्ना पृथिवी सवनद्रुमा ।। ३४.

That lotus, the work of Viṣṇu, arose from his navel; from it, the earth appeared in the form of a lotus, with forests and trees.

तदस्य लोकपद्मस्य विस्तरेण प्रकाशितम्। वर्णमानं विभागेन क्रमशः श्रृणुत द्विजाः ।। ३४.

Thus the extent of this world-lotus has been described; now, O twice-born, listen in order to its divisions and measures.

महाद्वीपास्तु विख्याताश्चत्वारः पत्रसंस्थिताः। ततः कर्णिकसंस्थानो मेरुर्नाम महाबलः ।। ३४.

There are four great continents, famed as situated like petals; at their center stands Meru, the mighty, like the pericarp.

नानावर्णेषु पार्श्वेषु पूर्वतः श्वेत उच्यते। पीतन्तु दक्षिणं तस्य शृङ्गं कृष्णं तथापरम् ।। ३४.

On its various sides, of different colors, to the east is Śveta; to the south is the yellow peak, and another, black, lies elsewhere.

उत्तरं तस्य रक्तं वै शोभिवर्णसमन्वितम्। मेरुस्तु शोभते शुभ्रो राजवत्स तु धिष्ठितः ।। ३४.

To its north lies a red region, endowed with a splendid hue; Meru shines brilliantly, white and established like a royal calf.

तरुणादित्यवर्णाभो विधूम इव पावकः। चतुरशीतिसाहस्र उत्सेधेन प्रकीर्त्तितः ।। ३४.

Its appearance resembles the color of the rising sun, like fire without smoke; its height is described as eighty-four thousand.

प्रविष्टः षोडशाधस्ताद्विस्तृतस्तावदेव तु । स शरावस्थितः पूर्वं द्वात्रिंशन्मूर्ध्नि विस्तृतः ।। ३४.

It extends sixteen units below and equally above; formerly, it was situated like a dish, and its breadth at the summit is thirty-two.

विस्तारात् त्रिगुणश्चास्य परिणाहः समन्ततः। मण्डलेन प्रमाणेन त्र्यस्रेऽर्द्धन्तु तदिष्यते ।। ३४.

Its circumference is three times its breadth on all sides; by the measure of a circle, half of the triangular form is considered.

चत्वारिंशत्सहस्राणि योजनानां समन्ततः। अष्टाभिरधिकानि स्युस्त्र्यस्रे माने प्रकीर्त्तितम् ।। ३४.

Forty thousand yojanas is its extent all around; eight more are added, according to the measure of the triangle.

चतुरस्रेण मानेन परिणाहः समन्ततः। चतुःषष्टिसहस्राणि योजनानां विधीयते ।। ३४.

By the measure of a quadrangle, its circumference on all sides is prescribed as sixty-four thousand yojanas.

स पर्वतो महादिव्यो दिव्यौषधिसमन्वितः। भुवनैरावृतः सर्वो जातरूपमयैः शुभैः ।। ३४.

That mountain is supremely divine, endowed with celestial herbs; it is entirely surrounded by worlds, adorned with pure gold.

तत्र देवगणाः सर्वे गन्धर्वोरगराक्षसाः । शैलराजैः प्रदृश्यन्ते शुभाश्चाप्सरसाङ्गणाः ।। ३४.

There, all the hosts of gods, Gandharvas, Nagas, and Rakshasas are seen with the kings of mountains, and the beautiful groups of Apsaras.